UN relief chief urges Security Council to act as Yemen crisis deepens

Briefing to the Security Council on Yemen by Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

New York, 12 September 2024

As delivered

Thank you, Mr. President,

And thank you to Special Envoy Grundberg for his update and for his tireless efforts for peace in Yemen. 

Mr. President, 

I want to start by expressing, once again, our deep concern about the continued arbitrary detention of United Nations personnel, non-governmental organization staff and civil society representatives, among others, by the Houthi de facto authorities. 

These colleagues have now been detained for more than three months. Four additional colleagues remain in detention since 2021 and 2023. 

I reiterate – in the strongest terms – the Secretary-General’s demand for their immediate and unconditional release. 

And I stress that while they remain deprived of their liberty, they must be treated with full respect for international humanitarian law and human rights. 

This includes allowing them contact with their families and legal representatives. 

We continue diplomatic efforts with the Houthi de facto authorities and other interlocutors to this end. 

We urge all Member States to exert any and all influence they have in support of these efforts. 

Additionally, we strongly reject false allegations by the Houthi de facto authorities against humanitarians, including recent claims of interference in Yemen's education system. These allegations threaten the safety of staff, further hinder the ability of the UN and its partners to serve the Yemeni people and must cease immediately.

Mr. President, 

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is steadily deteriorating. 

62 per cent of surveyed households report they do not have enough food to eat. This is historically high.

For the first time on record, three districts – two in Hodeidah and one in Taiz – are facing extremely critical levels of malnutrition – IPC Phase 5. One more district is projected to reach this level by October. 

By the end of 2024, more than 600,000 children in Government of Yemen-controlled areas are estimated to be acutely malnourished, and around 118,000 are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition – a 34 per cent increase since 2023.

Time is of the essence if we are to prevent catastrophe. 

The UN, together with international and national non-governmental organizations, are committed to an integrated approach that addresses the main drivers of this crisis, including disease outbreaks and poor water, sanitation and hygiene services. 

Scaling up our response will require support from the international community and cooperation of the parties. 

Meanwhile, while needs are surging, attacks against vessels in the Red Sea continue to pose substantial environmental risks. In this regard, we are monitoring the salvage attempt of Merchant Vessel ‘Sounion’ closely. 

Mr. President,

Yemen is also dealing with the effects of devastating rains, flooding and landslides, as well as an expanding cholera epidemic. 

Over half a million people have been affected by recent weather events. More than 270,000 have been displaced. 

The floods have contributed to the spread of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea. 

There have been more than 180,000 suspected cases across the country since the outbreak began. 

The humanitarian community, notably our local partners on the frontlines of the response, is working hard to provide support to those who have been impacted by these weather events. 

To date, 177,000 people have received some form of emergency assistance, including cash, food and shelter kits. 

However, this critical support is underfunded, limiting the supplies that are available – a challenge seen across the humanitarian response in Yemen. 

As we approach the final quarter of the year, the coordinated humanitarian appeal is only 29 per cent funded. 

Food security and agriculture programming is only 12 per cent funded.

Shelter support activities are only 16 per cent funded. 

And the Rapid Response Mechanism – our main tool for responding to sudden onset emergencies – has received just 6.4 million of the 17.9 million dollars needed.

In response to the seriousness of this funding shortage, I have recently agreed to release 20 million dollars from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund for the response in Yemen.

I should stress, however, that this allocation is insufficient to sustain the breadth of critical programs that the people of Yemen rely on.

This allocation does not obviate the need for Member States and other donors to increase their financial support for the humanitarian response.

Mr. President, 

In addition to adequate funding, an effective response in Yemen requires that parties comply with their obligations to facilitate humanitarian relief operations. 

It is worrying, therefore, that access impediments and interference with humanitarian activities remain as prevalent as they are.

I have already mentioned the abhorrent detention of humanitarian workers. 

In addition, during the first seven months of 2024, our humanitarian partners reported 572 access incidents across Yemen. 

Of these, direct interference in humanitarian activities by the parties accounted for 217 incidents – a noticeable increase from the 169 such incidents reported in 2023.

We have recently received assurances from the new cabinet formed by the Houthi de facto authorities that they will work with the UN and the humanitarian community at large to address these access challenges. 

We urge them to take concrete steps to fulfil these commitments, protect humanitarian workers, release all those arbitrarily detained, and facilitate humanitarian assistance. 

In the meantime, Mr. President, 

We have taken steps to minimise the exposure of staff to risk in Houthi-controlled areas. 

To this end, the United Nations has recently undertaken a program prioritisation exercise. 

The result will be a narrower response focused on essential lifesaving and life-sustaining activities. 

Broader activities, such as capacity-building and institutional support, will be deprioritised.

United Nations agencies are now engaging with their donors on their respective programmes and next steps.

When the minimum requirements are met for the safety and security of United Nations personnel and other humanitarian workers, it is our sincere hope that we can once again expand programming.

Mr. President, 

As I have previously stated in this Council, the humanitarian community is committed to staying and delivering in Yemen – as best it can, for as long as it takes.

To do this, we need the parties to respect international humanitarian law – by immediately releasing our detained colleagues, protecting civilians and humanitarian workers, and facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access. 

But as we have also repeatedly stated, humanitarian assistance cannot provide a long-term solution. 

I urge the parties to turn aside from the path of conflict and prioritise progress on a sustainable peace. 

I once again urge the Council and all Member States to support them on this path. 

Thank you.